The present invention relates to cigarettes, and more particularly to a cigarette having a centrally disposed tobacco column surrounded by a cylinder of non-tobacco fuel.
Smoking articles having an inner rod of a non-burning nicotine flavor releasing material surrounded by a fuel are, per se, known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,015 issued on Jun. 28, 1966 to C. D. Ellis, et al discloses a smoking device which includes a central foil tube filled with tobacco with the central tube surrounded by a cylinder of tobacco. The cylinder is wrapped by a porous paper wrapper. A nucleating chamber is located at one end of the smoking article to receive the smoke.
In another example, European Patent Application No. 0 245 732 filed Feb. 5, 1987 by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company discloses a smoking article having a dual burn rate fuel element. The element is made of a molded or extended carbon prepared from pyrolyzed cotton fiber. A tubular container of stainless steel is centrally located in the fuel element filled with a thermally stable, porous material such as porous carbons, graphite, ceramics, glass, alumina and clays. The porous material in the tubular container includes an aerosol forming substance. A seal having a central surface therethrough is located at the end of the fuel element which seals the end of the fuel element and the orifice is aligned with the tubular capsule.
Various smoking articles having a fuel column with a tubular member therethrough are shown in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,094 issued on Dec. 5, 1967 to C. D. Ellis, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,072 issued on Jul. 20, 1982 to Bolt, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,082 issued on Dec. 22, 1987 to Chandra K. Banerjee, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,389 issued on Dec. 29, 1987 to Dwo Lynn, et al; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,168 issued on Mar. 22, 1988 to James L. Resce, et al.